Filing device.



W. L. DEIVIING.

FILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED sEPI.Ie,19I5.

Lp'k Patented Apr. 24,1917.

WILLIAM L. DEIVIING, OF SALEM, OHIO.

FILING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24:, 19t?.

Application led September 16, 1915. Serial No. 51,042.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. DEMING,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Filing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact' description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. p The general object of this invention is to provide a. simple and effective form of filing device consisting of a series of indexed pockets in whichpapers, cards, etc., may be stored in assorted condition. Among the more particular objects of my invention may be mentioned the provision of a very elastic system of ling records, so that a large number of records of the same index, as well as a small number, may be accommodated for ready inspection. Another object is to provide for the convenient locking of the follower which maintains the le compacted without requiring access to the lower portion of the case containing the file. Another feature is the provision of means for maintaining the pockets normally close to` gether at the top, while allowing them to be spread for insertion of records or for inspection. Another object is to conveniently support the system of pockets in a suitable casing in such manner that the Whole system may be readily removed whenever desired.

My invention comprises the means by which I accomplish the above objects and other incidental advantages, as hereinafter more fully explained and as summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional side elevation of my filing device; Figs. 2 and 3 are substantially vertical transverse sections thereof on the lines 2-2 and 3--3 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the respective arrows. The remaining figures are details, Fig. 4.- showing a plan and Fig. 5 an end view of the support at the rear end of the container; Fig. 6 is a perspective, broken away, of one of the devices which secures the pockets on the supporting rod; Fig. 7 is a perspective of the upper portion of one of the pockets showing the index applied thereto.

Referring to the above drawings, 10 is a Suitable container which may be a drawer,

box or other device. Resting on the bottom l1 of this container and positioned by substantially engaging the side walls and end walls is the support for the filing pockets. This support comprises a longitudinal, trough-shaped device 20 which has an intermediate bottom portion, vertical sides and outstanding horizontal flanges 21 at the top of the sides. At the front and rear ends is a cross bar consisting of a plate 25 riveted at 26 to the flanges 21 and having a downturned vertical portion 27 and down-turned extensions 28 beyond the plate 27. The cross structure described may be identical at the two ends of the box. This cross structure and the longitudinal channel, it will be seen, make a frame which rests on the bottom and substantially abuts the end walls of the casing and also the side walls. The downturned plates 27 rest on the bottom 11 throughout their length. Thus, the support described can not be displaced laterally, or longitudinally, or tipped, but it rests in the receptacle simply by gravity and may be removed whenever desired.

Mounted in the supporting device described is a longitudinal rod 30 on which the pockets are strung. This rod extends through the central opening in the end plates 27 and is supported thereby within the channel-shaped central frame 20. To hold the rod against longitudinal displacement it is provided at one end with a lateral extension or crank arm 31, on the end of which is a forward extension 32, from which is a downward extension 33 curved on an arc about the axis of the rod 30 asa center. A suitable opening is provided in the fiange 25 of each end member. Thus the rod 30 may be inserted from either end and locked in place by turning the hooked extension 33 downwardly through the opening. A simple rocking of the rod, however, allows itto be drawn out endwise, thus freeing the various pockets which are strung on the rod. The manner in which the pockets are strung will now be described.

The pockets are made of heavy paper, manila or similar material, bent on itself to form loops open at the top and closed at the bottom. One sheet of paper may thus make the body of the pockets. In front of the first pocket and at the rear of thel last pocket, and secured to these pockets, I provide a comparatively stiff and strong plate which may conveniently be made of press board or similar material. For indexing purposes I find it convenient, as hereinafter explained, to make six pockets in a set, and such is the embodiment shown in Fig. l, where the course of the paper in these pockets will now be traced.

To the rear face of the press board or other front plate 40 T glue the downward panel 4l at the front of the first pocket. At the base of this downward panel the paper thereof continues in a fan fold 42. Then the paper extends upwardly at 48, is then doubled on itself, and extends downwardly at 44 to another fan fold 45, and then upwardly at 46, and so on to the final upward extension 47, which terminates at the top and is glued over its entire face to the front of the rear press board sheet 48. The adjacent pockets are glued together substantially half way down from the top, as shown. The structure described provides a set of pockets capable of being collapsed tight together or given a very considerable extension. lach section constitutes a unit like the other sections, this unit being simple, compact and durable.

The front plate 40 of the set of pockets is secured by eyelets 54 and to an up and down metal plate 50wl1ich has in its lower portion an eye 51, through which the rod 30 extends, and at its lower end a foot 59 resting slidably on the base member of the channel frame 20. The front and back plates and the pockets'are adapted to stand slightly above the flanges 21 of the longitu dinal support, though these flanges may support the pockets if they sag from loading. Through the eyelet holes 54 and 55 suitable fastening devices 57 extend from one set of pockets to the next. These fastening devices ma-y be of any suitable form, as, for example, McGill fasteners. The structure described provides a very readily extensible series of units slidably supported at intervals by metal feet 59.

To keep the pockets close together at their upper ends when the file is idle, and, at the same time allow them to be spread at this point for inspection or insertion of records, I form a spring on the lower end of each plate 50 which tends to swing the upper end of the plate rearwardly. rThis spring is shown in Figs. 1 and 6 and consists of a tongue 58 secured to the intermediate portion of the rearward extension 59 at the bottom of the plate, this .tongue being bent upwardly to engage the under side of the rod 30 with a spring action. The side portions of the extension 59 not only formsupporting feet but also distance pieces adapted to abut the face of the next plate 50 and thus 'limit the compaction of the device, as well as preventing its backward tipping. The rear end of each foot 59 is turned upwardly to form a toe 56 so that there may be no danger of any foot sliding beneath the lower end of the metal plate at the rear thereof.

At the rear of the pockets and secured to the rearmost pocket is a follower which is adapted to be clamped on the rod 30. The forward face of this follower consists of a plate 60 lying against the rearmost pocket and secured to it by McGill fasteners 57. This plate 60 extends downwardly between the side walls of the support 20 and loosely surrounds the rod 30, and beneath this rod the plate has a rearward extension 62. rThe top of the plate also has a rearward extension 64 and these two extensions are braced by the two struts 65 secured to them and preferably spreading apart downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. Between the struts at the upper end is a sleeve 67 secured to the struts and to the top extension 64.

Pivoted to ears 70 on the rear face of the plate 60 is a shoe 7l adapted to contactv with the upper portion of the rod 30. This shoe extends between the struts 65 and, at that point, has a pair of clips 72 which extends into an annular groove in the lower end of the rod 75. This rod extends through the sleeve 67 and has an enlargement therein with external threads 76 engaging internal threads in the sleeve.

On the upper end of the rod is a knob 79. The turning of this knob raises or lowers the rod axially thereof, and this swings the shoe free from the rod or into snug engagement therewith, as the case may be. This enables the follower to be lclamped at any desired point on the rod by turning the knob 79, which is very accessible. By locating this knob at the top, it will be seen it is not necessary to insert ones hand behind the follower, and thus the follower may be brought substantially into engagement with the rear wall of the case when the pockets are extended the maximum amount. Accordingly, there is no waste space in the compartment.

Any suitable indexing may be carried by the various pockets. As stated, I have found it convenient to make six pockets to a set, and this enables each set to conveniently represent one letter and the different pockets of the set the different vowels of a sub-dividing index. That is to say, assuming that the set represented the letter K. The first pocket might contain all of the names beginning with K whose first vowel was a. The next pocket would contain the letters having the K initial but with the first vowel of e, and so on. The initial for the set preferably is printed on a card 80, which is mounted in a central pocket provided by doubling inwardly the edge 81 of the top portion of the plate 50. The sub-divisional or vowel indices are conveniently provided by doubled strips of linen or similar material 85, ex-

tending over and pasted to the upper edge of the partition between pockets, a suitable reinforcing piece 86 being preferably placed between the doubled portions of this tab.

A card bearing an explanation of the indexing system ma be mounted in front of the foremost mem er 50, as indicated at 87 1n Fig. 1. A lower extension of this card may have an eyelet 88 surrounding the rod 30.

yHaving thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a filing device, the combination with a channel-shaped support, comparatively stiff upright plates, substantially vertical strips on said plates extending downwardly into the channel of the support, and a set of pockets between the plates and secured `to them.

2. The combination of a suitable su port, a series of upwardly extending comparatively stiif plates slidably mounted adjacent their lower edges in the support, a set of comparatively flexible pockets between adjacent plates, each set comprising a series of loops connected together, the endmost loops of the set being connected to the plates adjacent thereto.

3. An expansible index file comprising sets of flexible pockets one behind the other, stiff individual supports for the different sets slidably mounted, the set of pockets between the, supports being suspended there.

from.

4. The combination of a set of pockets connected together one behind the other, said pockets being open above and closed at the bottom, a reinforcing plate for the pockets, a metallic plate secured to the reinforcing plate and extending above it, the edges of said metallic plate being bent upon itself to provide a receptacle for an indexing device.

5. The combination of a set of filing pockets one behind the other, a substantially upright front plate for the set, spring means resisting the forward swinging of the front plate, and means for limiting the rearward swinging thereof.

6. The combination of a series of pockets, a downward extension therefor; a rod passing through the extension, and a spring carried by the extension and adapted to engage the under sidey of the rod.

7,. The combination with a casing, of a slideway therein, a series of supports resting on the slideway, pockets between the supports carried by them, a rod passing through downward extensions of the supports, and means on the downward extensions controlling the swinging of such supports. y

8. The combination, with filing pockets, of supporting devices therefor having downward extensions, a rod passing through such extensions, a follower at the rear of the pockets, and means operable from near the top. of the follower for clamping it to the rod.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a longitudinal troughshaped support, cross supports adjacent to the opposite ends of the trough-shaped support, a rod carried by the cross supports, and a filing device resting on the longitudinal support and held by the rod.

10. The combination of a longitudinal supporting device in the form of an upwardly facing channel, cross supports at the ends of the channel, a rod within the channel having a bent end adapted to engage an opening in one of the cross supports, and a ling device resting on the longitudinal support and retained by said rod.

11. The combination with a casing, of a supporting device resting and positioned within the casing but removable therefrom, said supporting device consisting of a longitudinal upwardly facing trough-shaped member and cross members at the ends of the longitudinal member, said cross members substantially abutting the ends and side of the receptacle, and a filing system supported by said device.

12. The combination with a casing, of a supporting device resting and positioned within the casing but removable therefrom, said supporting device consisting of a longitudinal upwardly facing trough-shaped member having top flanges and cross members at the ends of the longitudinalmember, said cross members substantially abutting the ends and sides of the receptacle, a filing system above the flanges and having downward extensions occupying the channel of the longitudinal support, and a rod within said channel`passing through such extensions.

13. In a filing device, the combination with a suitable receptacle and supports, of a series of pockets composed of a single sheet looped up and down to provide pockets closed below and open above, the adjacent walls of adjacent loops being secured together at their upper portions while free from each other at their lower portions, and the bottom loop having a fan fold to provide for expansion and compaction.

14. A filing device consisting of a series of pocketslooped up and down, the adjacent walls of adjacent loops being secured together in their upper portions, and supporting plates engaging the endmost pockets of a set and thereby suspending the interme-' set and thereby suspending the intermediate pockets, a longitudinal slideway, means extending thereinto for holding such plates approximately vertically, and means for compacting the pockets.

16. The combination, with a suitable casing, of a slideway within the casing at the bottom thereof, a series of substantially upright plates above the slideway and having extensions into it, a rod passing through saidv extensions, means for looking the rod in place, sets of pockets having their upper portions contiguous, one set between adjacent plates and suspended therfeb7 and each set consisting of a single sheet looped up and down to provide pockets one behind the other, a main index for each set, and sub-dividing indices secured to the contignous portions of the respective walls between the pockets.

17. The combination of a series of substantially upright plates, sets of tiling pockets between and connected to the respective plates and adapted to be compacted or extended, and means for limiting the compaction.

18. The combination of a set of .liling pockets, a substantially upright plate connected therewith, said plate being provided with a lateral extension adapted to abut a member at the other end of the set of pockets and limit the compaction of the pockets.

19. The combination with a locking rod, of a plurality of substantially upright plates through the lower portions of which the rod extends, filing devices between the plates, each plate having a substantially horizontal extension at its lower end adapted to abut the adjacent plate andlimit itspwn approach thereto.

20. In a filing system, the combination of a guideway, a locking rod, a plate resting in the guideway and having an opening through which the rod extends, the lower portion of said plate being bent substantially horizontally and then upwardly, to provide a foot riding on the bottom of the guideway and a'toe to abut ,an adjacent plate and limit the approach of one plate to the other.

21. In a filing device, the combination with a suitable receptacle, of a series of pockets, a slidabley supportsecured tothe front pocket of the series, and a slidable follower secured to the rear pocket and provided with means to prevent it working backwardly.

2:2. The combination, with a casing, of a channel-shaped support therein, a rod adapted to be held within the support and extend longitudinally therein, a follower slidably mounted within the support, the rod passing through the follower, a series of pockets, the rear one of which is secured to the front face of the follower.

23. ln a device of the character;V described, the combination with a series opockets, of a-follower having'a rearwardly inclined approximately vertical front plate to which the rear pocket is secured, an up-and-down brace at the rear of the front plate, and a foot extending rearwardly from the front plate.

, In testimony whereof, l hereunto aIiX my signature.

WLLIAM L. DEMING. 

